


Locked Up [Stucky Oneshot]

by thestuckysoldier



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 16:27:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8217031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thestuckysoldier/pseuds/thestuckysoldier
Summary: Bucky is fed up of his family and of his life as a Prince. Steve is locked up in a tower and Bucky rescues him.





	

Prince James Barnes was absolutely sick of everybody telling him "You need to go out and find your princess!", "There's a princess out there for you, James!", "James, you need to hurry up and marry your princess before it's too late!",  
"She's waiting for you, James!"  
Number one, James is not his name. Well, technically it is, but he hates it when people call him that, he prefers Bucky but only his friends and very close family will call him that (the others forget because they don't see him often enough or refuse and say something along the lines of "but James suits you so well, don't you think Bucky is a little childish?").  
Number two, Bucky is gay. Again, his close family and friends are ok with this (his parents, King George and Queen Winifred, were a little frustrated when he told them because Bucky will be the King when his father steps down from the throne, and they didn't know how the rest of the kingdom would react to their future king being gay but they understand that they can't change his sexuality) but most of his extended family can't seem to grasp the fact that Bucky likes men and he isn't going to marry a woman.  
Number three, Bucky has completely convinced himself that no woman let alone a man would ever want him because of his arm. Three years ago, one of the biggest wars to ever take place in the kingdom ended. Bucky fought in it along with his two years younger sister, Rebecca. They came back having won the war, but feeling like they'd lost everything else: their happiness, their youth, their sanity and in Bucky's case, his arm. He still came back with an arm, he had been given a metal one so he could carry on fighting during the war as he was one of their army's best snipers, and his sister could never have carried on without Bucky there, helping and encouraging her like the protective older brother he was.  
So he had the metal arm, and it made him feel sick every time he looked at it. He didn't feel human, he felt like a monster, a robot, a killing machine. And he assumed that's what everybody else thought when they looked at it too.  
Bucky most definitely wasn't the happiest person in the world.

The Barnes royal family lived in a castle very close to Brooklyn forest. Brooklyn forest is supposedly cursed, however nobody knows for sure because only a rumour was spread around about four years ago during the war. Many people would agree, though, that it was very suspicious how one day it seemed to be a normal forest with green trees and purple flowers and the next day a giant tower with cracked stone and ivy and moss creeping up it like it had been there for centuries was planted right in the middle. The trees lost their leaves even though it was the middle of spring and anybody who dared to look around the edge of the forest would find the once purple flowers now brown and shrivelled. It was as if the forest had died.  
The rumour of the forest being cursed spread around like wildfire and most people either believed it or were scared off enough to not go even to the edge of the forest.  
Nobody realised that there was a person inside of that tower.  
It was during the last year of the war, and Steve Rogers was just like any other ordinary soldier fighting on the Barnes' side. Except for the fact that he had just discovered some secrets from the other side that would help them win the war, and Pierce (the leader of the the other side of the war) knew that he had to dispose of Steve Rogers before he told anybody their secrets. So he sent what he thought was the best man for the job, the powerful dark wizard Rumlow, to destroy Steve. What Pierce didn't realise however, was that killing wasn't Rumlow's style. No, instead Rumlow decided to ruin Brooklyn forest with his magic (Steve grew up in Brooklyn so Rumlow knew it would make him suffer to see the forest he grew up playing in destroyed) and lock him inside a tower. Rumlow disguised himself as a villager after working his magic and set off a rumour that the forest was cursed, however that was a lie. It was in fact, Steve who was cursed. He was left in the tower to die of old age (Rumlow had left an unlimited supply of food and water, he decided to let him suffer for fifty years in boredom instead of leave him nothing and him die anyway a week later. As was mentioned, that wasn't Rumlow's style) and with a window for air. Unfortunately for Steve, he couldn't just climb out of the window as there was a very powerful spell blocking it, however unfortunately for Rumlow this time, he had messed up when casting the spell and it was now irreversible that if anybody came by the tower, they could climb through the window and break the spell and rescue Steve, which is why Rumlow created the rumour to keep people away. Rumlow decided never to tell Pierce this because he's a filthy liar and a coward and so Steve had been stuck in this tower for 4 years. 

Back at the castle, there was a royal family dinner going on. These happened maybe once or twice a year, where the whole Barnes family (cousins, aunts, grandparents, great uncles, fourth cousins, basically anyone rich and with even a drop of Barnes blood) all gathered at the castle and they had a giant dinner. The servants dreaded these dinners as they would spend days preparing for them and it was always incredibly stressful.  
Anyway, they were all sat round a table, and poor Bucky was sat between his great great aunt Ida and his homophobic third or fourth cousin (he always lost count) Benjamin.  
"So how is life back at home after the war?" Ida asked for what was about the fifth time in about an hour.  
"Well, I suppose it's been OK," Bucky lied through gritted teeth, sawing viciously through a potato.  
"And have you got your eye on any girls?" Ida nudged him, smirking and winked.  
Bucky mentally vomited at his great great aunt being so suggestive and breathed out irritably through his nose, slowly putting his cutlery down on his plate.  
"Again, Ida, as I've been telling you for many years, I have not got my eyes on any girls. And do you know why that is? Because I don't like women, Ida. I like men," Bucky explained for what seemed like the millionth time.  
Benjamin scoffed beside him, his eyes firmly plastered on his meal.  
Bucky sighed. He was so tired with putting up with his family's crap.  
"A kingdom doesn't want a gay as their king. They need a respectable, mighty King with a beautiful queen at his side!" Benjamin muttered.  
Bucky bit back the retort he actually wanted to reply with and instead muttered back, "Well, that's just a matter of opinion."  
He picked up his knife and fork again and shoved a piece of broccoli into his mouth angrily.  
"Yes, an opinion it is. And that opinion just so happens to be shared by the whole nation," Benjamin spat back.  
Ida had left the conversation by now and was back to muttering into her champagne glass.  
"I disagree with you there, pal, I just so happen to know that a lot of people actually think I would be a worthy King, gay or not, and you may not think it, and I may not think it either, but it is my legacy and I don't exactly get a choice in the matter."  
Benjamin rolled his eyes.  
"You fags, always being so overly dramatic."  
Bucky had it at that. He slammed his knife and fork onto his plate and stood up, fuming.  
"You listen here you little piece of sh-"  
"James, language!" The queen used Bucky's full name, which Bucky knew was a warning sign.  
He swallowed his words back down, and sat back down. He apologetically looked round the table at all of the curious faces and said politely, "I apologise, do get back to your meals."  
Benjamin smirked, and whispered so only Bucky could hear, "That's what I thought, prick."  
After the dinner, everybody was piled into the ballroom as it was one of the only rooms that fit everybody in it apart from the dining room, and they were all milling about with drinks in their hands, making small talk amongst themselves.  
Bucky was stood silently on his own in the corner.  
He saw his grandfather begin to make his way over so he started to move so he wouldn't have to talk to him, but it was too late.  
"James, my boy!" His grandfather brought him into a scarily manly hug.  
The same questions began.  
"How are you? How's life been since we last spoke? Anybody new in your life? A girl? Any hopes of me getting any great grandchildren any time soon?"  
Bucky scoffed at the last one.  
"Yeah, as if that's gonna happen at any time soon."  
"And why's that, my boy? Have you decided to never get married? The bachelor route? I like it, my boy. Smart move."  
"No, grandfather."  
"Then what is it, my boy?"  
Bucky was really having his patience tested this evening. All of these "my boy"s were really irritating him.  
"Oh you know, grandfather. It's like the last time I told you. I'm gay. Remember?" Bucky was beginning to attract some attention, but he really didn't care.  
"Yes, my boy, I'm glad you're happy. But what has that got anything to do with you having children?"  
Oh, for christ's sake.  
"I LIKE DICK, GODDAMNIT!"  
Bucky slammed his drink down and stormed out of the room, through the giant castle doors and down the marble steps.  
He just needed some space to breathe and to think.  
Bucky ran and ran, through the castle grounds and without thinking, he ran into the forest. He scratched and tore his expensive suit on the brambles and tree branches that seemed to reach out at him as he scrambled through the undergrowth.  
He had gone quite far in, when he realised his lungs were burning and his legs were hurting a little. He leant back against the tree and closed his eyes.  
Peace and quiet at last.  
The forest was dead silent. Bucky stood back up straight and looked around.  
"Ah crap," he muttered aloud, realising he was in Brooklyn forest.  
He had no clue as to where he was so there was only one thing he could do to get out of this forest:pick a direction and walk.  
Bucky walked and walked, enjoying the peace and not having to deal with any of his dumb family.  
Then he found himself in the middle of the forest. He could tell he was in the middle, because right there, was the tower. It wasn't as tall as it looked from the castle, Bucky thought to himself.  
He stepped on a stick, and it made a loud cracking noise. Bucky thought nothing of it, but inside the tower, Steve was awoken from his light sleep by the sharp noise.  
Steve gulped. What the hell was that?  
He made his way over to the window and looked out as far as he could without the spell keeping him trapped in there blocking him.  
Holy shit.  
A human. An actual real life human.  
Steve sank to his knees and let out a shaky breath.  
That was the first human he had seen in four years.  
Steve quickly stood back up and cleared his throat.  
"Hey!" He yelled down to where the man was pacing around on the ground.  
Bucky snapped his head up when he heard him. There was a man in the tower.  
"Oh my god, what the hell are you doing in there?!" Bucky asked him.  
"I'm trapped, have been for four years," Steve answered.  
"Oh jeez. And no one ever thought to come check out this tower and rescue you?"  
"No, well if they did, I never saw them. What are you doing here anyway?"  
"I ran from the castle because my family was pissing me off. I just needed some quiet and I ended up here. Do you need some help getting out of there?" Bucky offered.  
Steve bit his lip.  
"I'm not sure I can get out. There's a spell blocking the window so I can't climb out."  
"Huh."  
Bucky pondered for a moment.  
"So you can't get out, but what if I can get in?"  
Steve suddenly remembered what that idiot Rumlow had said when he had locked him up here in the first place.  
"I just remembered! The guy that locked me up, he said something to me when he was doing it. He said something like I can't ever get out, not unless somebody comes along and breaks the spell by climbing in."  
"Well that's it then. I'll just climb in and we can get the hell outta here!"  
"Oh my goodness, thank you. What's your name?" Steve asked.  
"James, but I prefer Bucky."  
"I'm Steve."  
"Ok, Steve, do you know if you can get other things out of the tower or can nothing get out?"  
"It's just me who's unable to escape. Do you want me to throw down a rope?"  
"Why the hell do you have rope?"  
"The idiot who locked me up didn't think through what he would put in here. I don't know why the hell rope was on his list of things to put in a hostage's tower. He was really dumb."  
Bucky snorted and said, "I can understand that."  
Steve grabbed the rope and threw it out of his window. Bucky grabbed hold of it, and climbed up the tower like it was nothing. He scrambled in over the window ledge and collapsed on the floor, panting heavily.  
"Jesus christ, that was hard work," Bucky gasped out.  
Steve would've replied, if he wasn't too busy staring at Bucky's face.  
Goddamn, this man is attractive was all he was able to think.  
Steve managed to snap out of it, and grabbed Bucky's hand that was reached out, pulling him up front the floor.  
"Hey there, Stevie, nice to meet you," Bucky grinned.  
Steve grinned back and then gestured to the window and the rope, saying, "Can we please get the hell out of here?"  
"Hell yes we can."  
Steve climbed down the rope first and once he got the bottom, he looked around. He was free at last! He couldn't believe it.  
Bucky got to the bottom and all of a sudden he was attacked by a strong pair of arms.  
Bucky laughed into Steve's shoulder and Steve murmured, "Thank you so much."  
Bucky put his arms around Steve as well, and replied with, "All I did was climb up a rope. But you're welcome."  
They set off again in a random direction in a hope to find the edge of the forest, and they must have been wandering for hours. Steve explained the whole thing with Rumlow locking him in the tower, and Bucky explained how the war ended three years ago, and about his family. This was when Steve realised that Bucky was Prince James Buchanan Barnes and he had been talking to a prince the whole time without realising.  
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry-" Steve hurriedly began to apologise for being so rude to a member of the royal family, but Bucky cut him off.  
"No, don't say sorry. It's nice having someone who treats me like a normal person for once, not just a prince who needs to find a princess and rule his country and like that's all my life was meant for. That's why I had to get away from the castle this evening."  
Steve nodded sympathetically.  
"I feel you. So you're not a big fan of getting married, then?" He asked.  
"It's not the marriage part, it's the princess part. I'm gay, and even though most of my family know this, they can't seem to understand it and it just really irritates me when they're constantly asking me about bloody princesses and the war and my freaking metal arm and shit, Steve, I don't mean to blabber and complain, I'm sorry, I should be grateful for what I've got," Bucky kicked a stone frustratedly.  
"No, no, it's ok, Bucky. I don't mind you telling me all this, I'm just hoping it makes you feel better by getting it off your chest."  
Bucky stopped walking and turned to look at Steve as he also stopped.  
"You're a really nice guy, Steve, considering you've been stuck in a tower for four years without any human interaction."  
Steve smiled, the corner of his mouth turning up.  
Damn, he's cute, Bucky thought to himself.  
Then Steve asked Bucky about his metal arm, which Bucky didn't seem to mind to his own surprise.  
They had got to know each other very well by the time they were found by some of the Royal guards. They had been stumbling around tiredly when they heard cantering hooves and shouting, saying something along the lines of, "Prince James is up ahead! He has company!"  
"Thank god they found us," Bucky sighed in relief.  
Steve nodded and said somewhat sadly, "Well, I can't ever thank you enough for rescuing me, Bucky. Goodbye, then."  
Bucky gave Steve a confused look and asked, "What the hell are you saying goodbye for, Stevie? You're coming back to the castle, ok? You'll get a hot shower, something to eat and drink and a clean and comfortable bed to sleep in. You already told me your mother died and you have no other family to get back to, so where else would you go? No, Steve, you're coming with me," Bucky sternly pointed at Steve, like a parent telling off their small child.  
Steve was about to make a funny remark about how creepy that sounded, but they had caught up with the Royal guards and one of the guards managed to say something first.  
"Prince James, we will take you back to castle now, if you wish. Are you ok to ride, we brought your horse?"  
Bucky nodded and replied, "Yes, thank you very much. My friend Steve is coming back with me."  
The guard nodded and Bucky clambered onto his horse, Steve climbing up after him, his legs wrapped around Bucky's thighs. They set off, Bucky following the guards through the forest, and Steve wrapped his arms around Bucky's waist.  
"I hope I'm not invading your personal space," Steve murmured behind the prince.  
Bucky grinned and replied, "You wouldn't be invading it even if you tried, Stevie."  
The blonde laughed and blushed, wrapping his arms around Bucky a little tighter.  
Once they had arrived back at the castle, it was nearly sunrise.  
Bucky went to his room and Steve was given a room across the hall from him.  
Steve went into his bathroom and took a long, soothing shower, letting the hot water cascade down his body. It was the first hot shower he'd had in 4 years and it felt amazing.  
A servant had left some peanut butter sandwiches and a glass of milk in his room (Bucky's request), which Steve gratefully ate and drank, before sinking into his soft mattress. Tiredness enveloped him and he sunk into a dreamless sleep.  
In the morning, Bucky crept into Steve's room. He watched the man sleep peacefully for a few minutes before going over to the bed and sitting on it. He gently shook Steve awake and the blonde drearily opened his eyes, mumbling, still half asleep, "Morning."  
Bucky snorted and muttered back, "Not quite, Stevie."  
Steve sat up, rubbing his eyes. When they were opened again, he asked, "What time is it?"  
"1:30 PM. Did you sleep well?"  
"Oh, jeez. And yes thanks, I slept amazingly. Did you?"  
Bucky shrugged. It had been just like how he usually slept: restless and his dreams were filled with screaming and gun shots.  
Steve and Bucky ate lunch together, conversation easily passing between them. They were left alone for the whole day and Bucky took Steve on a tour of the castle grounds. They were wandering round the gardens together in a comfortable silence when Bucky stopped by a bench and sat down, Steve following his lead and sitting down next to him.  
"Bucky, are you ok?" Steve asked worriedly.  
Bucky nodded and replied, "I'm fine. I just... I don't want you to feel like I'm keeping you here, Steve."  
Steve shook his head.  
"I promise you, Bucky, if I wanted to leave so desperately I would have. I appreciate all that you're doing for me. But why are you doing it, I don't understand?"  
Bucky bit his lip. Truth was, he had a giant crush on Steve, but also he felt a sort of responsibility for Steve. He had got him out of the tower and now felt the need to look after him and make sure he wasn't locked up again. Or maybe he just didn't want to watch Steve go, to see him leave and probably never be able to see that adorable lopsided grin again, those dazzlingly blue eyes, that soft blonde hair.  
"Hello? Earth to Bucky?" Steve waved a hand in front of Bucky's face, grinning amusedly.  
Fuck it, Bucky thought before grabbing Steve's face and pressing their lips together.  
It was over as soon as it had begun. Steve pulled back in shock, surprise written all over his face.  
"Bucky..." He said uncertainly.  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that without your permission. I couldn't stop myself, I'm so sorry. It's ok if you don't feel the same way."  
Steve shook his head and replied, "Dear god, no, I feel the same way. Please kiss me again."  
Bucky smirked and they leant in to kiss again. This time it was less of a spur of the moment kiss, it was meaningful and passionate. Their lips melded together perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle, like the moon and the stars. Bucky felt a warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach, he felt happy for the first time in years.  
"I'm glad I met you Stevie," Bucky murmured after they pulled back for air.  
"Me too. I'd still be stuck in that wretched tower if it wasn't for you."  
Bucky smiled modestly.  
"My god, Buck, you're so beautiful," Steve whispered in awe.  
"For god's sake, Steve, kiss me already!"  
They laughed and kissed and talked and kissed and laughed some more.  
At that very moment it didn't matter if they stayed together for the rest of their lives, happily married with children or hooked up for one night and then Steve left, or they broke up after a few years. It was perfect at that moment in time and that was all that they cared about.  
Bucky was happy again. He stopped caring about his metal arm, he stopped caring about all of his family's ridiculous remarks about him.  
He was content with Steve. He was content with himself. Content at last.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave kudos and comment with your feedback, I'd love to know what you think. I hope you enjoyed it :)


End file.
